1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to nano-materials, methods for making the same, and labeling methods using the same and, particularly, to an isotope-doped nano-structure of an element, a method for making the same, and a labeling method using the same.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Isotope labeling is a powerful tool in the study of nano-material growth mechanisms and in nano-sized isotope junction synthesis. Methods of isotope labeling use reactants containing different isotopes of a special element (usually light elements such as carbon, boron, nitrogen and oxygen), which are fed in designated concentrations (pure or mixed) and sequences into a nano-material synthesis process to provide in situ isotope labeling of nano-materials.
A typical example is shown and discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,029,751B2, entitled, “ISOTOPE-DOPED CARBON NANOTUBE AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING THE SAME,” issued to Fan, et al. on Apr. 18, 2006. This patent discloses an isotope-doped carbon nanotube and method for making the same. The isotope-doped carbon nanotube includes a plurality of carbon nanotube segments, and each of the carbon nanotube segments is composed of a single carbon isotope. There are three naturally occurring carbon isotopes, which are used for labeling. However, the number of labels is limited by the number of combinations of the three isotopes, which limits isotopic labeling.
What is needed, therefore, is an isotope-doped nano-structure of an element, a method for making the same, and a labeling method using the same, the isotope-doped nano-structure of the element can be used for labeling different kinds of substances.